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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23555860">Where the Galaxy Ends</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SwordsandShields99/pseuds/SwordsandShields99'>SwordsandShields99</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>I Will Find You [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Mass Effect Trilogy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 17:54:48</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,181</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23555860</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SwordsandShields99/pseuds/SwordsandShields99</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Galactic Heroes Jane Shepard and Garrus Vakarian made it out of the war, somehow. Just when it seems that our heroes might get to live a normal life, fate throws them one more twist. The desperate and crumbling remains of the terrorist group, Cerberus, used their remaining resources to recapture Commander Shepard. Rumors are everywhere regarding her activities, and none of them good. Garrus can't believe that the woman he loves is capable of such acts. As a spectre, he took on the case. He needs to find her, to save her... or stop her. </p><p>Let me know what you think :)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Female Shepard/Garrus Vakarian</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>I Will Find You [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1704805</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Where the Galaxy Ends</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Shepard gasped for breath, suddenly gaining consciousness. She couldn't feel her legs, couldn't feel much really. Her vision was blurred, and she could barely make out the stars above her. She tried moving, but couldn't. She reached out with her one free hand and felt the concrete slab that was crushing her. She reached out her hand into the cold air, towards the stars. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>She didn't want to die... not when she was so close... not when she suddenly had something to live for. Breathing was becoming more and more difficult, and she could hear the fluid in her lungs as she gasped for air. 'Garrus...', she thought. She tried her omnitool, but it was beyond repair. She touched the record button on her comms ear-piece. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>She struggled to talk, and gasped through coughs, "Hey there, Big Guy... I... I don't know if you'll get this... but I think I did it. I think they're gone. God, you... you better be safe, Vakarian. I did not just... fucking kill all the Reapers, for you not to be in this universe." She coughed and wheezed. "You... better be out there... somewhere... still being the same, amazing person I fell in love with. The one... who cares... the one who does the right thing...." She coughed blood into her hand. "And you better move on... and be happy, ok? No one deserves that more than you do. So don't you dare fall apart now, ok? You're... you are too good... God you're the best," she gasped. "Tell the team... it was an honor serving with everyone. The galaxy would be gone if it wasn't for them. I've loved being in the Alliance Navy, and I've loved every minute on board the Normandy with my crew. I hope that the galaxy learns from it's mistakes. That we all come together after this. That we put our prejudices and biases aside. No one race is better than another. And together, we achieve the impossible." She took a few deep breaths, and suddenly everything in her body felt cold. She shivered and coughed, and as she looked up at the stars, her vision went dark. "Garrus, I... I would have liked to have that retirement plan we talked about... I'm sorry... I... I love you... I'm... sorry." She reached up and pressed the stop button, and then send, praying that somehow, it would find it's way to him. She gripped her dog tags in her hand tightly. Maybe she would stay dead this time.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>---------------------------------------------------------------------------------</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"What did he say, Joker?" Tali asked.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"He said he can't put her name up there, not until he knows for sure."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"But we... we saw... there's no way," she started.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Yeah well, maybe not," Joker said with hope in his voice.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"What do you mean?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"He had set up a link to her vitals through his visor. After the blast, he never saw her vitals flat line. They were all over the place, and not in a good way, but not gone. When everything surged, he said her vitals and everything else was lost to static. Every once in a while, her vitals will pop up on his visor. Not... there... but a static will pop up. So not flat lined either."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"That's not a lot to go on," Liara said quietly. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"No, but it's better than nothing. I think we'd all like some closure. If there is any way in hell she's still out there, it's our job as her crew to find her. We're working around the clock to make the necessary repairs. The Normandy won't be battle ready, but we'll be out of here in the next few hours," Joker said.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Good" Tali whispered as she started walking towards engineering. "Let's do this."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>---------------------------------------------------------------------------------</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Garrus stood behind Joker as they finally made their way back, when suddenly his omni-tool blinked.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He stepped out into the hall and linked it to his visor, and pressed play, and he heard her voice as she said goodbye.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He felt his knees buckle, and he sunk to the ground.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>----------------------------------------------------------------------------------</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Once Garrus landed, there was no stopping him. Thanks to his visor's link to Shepard's vitals, the random search turned into a directed approach to her coordinates. He was a few minutes ahead of the rest of the crew when he found her. If it wouldn't have been for his visor, he wouldn't have seen her beneath the concrete. At first, he just saw dog tags. Then he noticed a gloved hand wrapped around the chain. He started digging furiously. And then he saw it. The rise and fall of her chest. While shallow, it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>He picked her up slowly, not wanting to injure her further. "No Vakarian without Shepard," he whispered into her ear as he walked towards the medical transport. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>----------------------------------------------------------------------------------</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Months of physical therapy had ensured Shepard returned to her old self. She had insisted that Garrus apply to be a Spectre and follow his dreams. "Just because I'll be on my ass for a few months doesn't mean I'll be holding you back, Vakarian," she had said. She wrote him a recommendation, of course. That, in addition to being well-known on his own merits, meant he was instantly granted Spectre status. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>And once Shepard had been medically cleared, she jumped right back into Spectre life. While Spectres technically worked alone, it was very well known that Shepard and Vakarian were partners. And it was becoming more well known throughout the galaxy, that they were partners in more ways than one. Vids of their battles with the Reapers had leaked on the extranet. Somehow, footage of some very telling closeness, in addition to Garrus carrying Shepard's lifeless body out of the citadel had also leaked. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>With the Repers destroyed, and the Illusive Man dead, the biggest enemies of the galaxy where gone. Spectre life went back to what it must have been before Saren. They loved it. Not the weight of the galaxy on their shoulders, but still doing what they did best, and together. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>-----------------------------------------------------------------------------</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Here, Turian brandy... some of the best as I understand it," Shepard said, handing Garrus a bottle.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Damn, Shep. Yeah, this is the good stuff. What for?" he asked.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Our first case together as fellow Spectres," she smiled back. She rose her own bottle to toast, "To having the best partner in the galaxy," she said.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He rose his bottle, "Cheers." </em>
</p><p>
  <em>She looked up at him after taking a swig of her whisky, and noticed him staring. "What?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He gently rose his hand and brushed it against her cheek. "To having the best partner," he said slowly. "I wouldn't mind having that for the rest of my life."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Shepard rose on her toes to kiss him softly. "Me too."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Good," he whispered, taking a ring out of his pocket.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She looked at him with a smile. "So we're making this official then Vakarian? Chasing that dream of retiring to someplace warm? Finding out what human-turian babies look like?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Damned right," he said. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Good," she whispered, kissing him again. </em>
</p><p> </p>
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